In recent months, Infinant Health has come under fire after the death of a preterm infant has been linked to its probiotic product. The FDA issued a warning in September to hospitals, advising them against administering Evivo with MCT Oil, the product which contains the live bacterium B. infantis.

The road to investing is wide and full of many different kinds of drivers that often overlap. Here is a basic guide to understanding how various investors work and what makes each one unique.

Since 2020, the global economy has been mired in uncertainty. On Oct. 5, 2023, investors and entrepreneurs convened at the Roebbelen Center @The Grounds in Roseville to address certain questions regarding business in the Capital Region.

Grown in a lab from raw materials, so-called “baby trees” could be essential for protecting not only the future of fruits and vegetables, but also people. This is the aim of Botanical Solution Inc., a Davis-based ag tech startup with global roots.

For an old electric vehicle battery, retirement doesn’t mean the end of the road. This fact was the catalyst for RePurpose Energy, a Fairfield-based startup that converts retired EV batteries into renewable energy storage systems.

Advancements in heart care tools and technology have made surgery less invasive, reducing pain, hospital stays and overall recovery time. These innovations have not only improved patient outcomes, but have also led to greater recognition of hospitals in the region as high-quality heart care centers.

Nasal and sinus problems can be tricky and costly to diagnose. Based on a hardware prototype developed at Stanford University, Scopi Medical aims to solve both problems with the first AI-enabled portable nasal endoscope for diagnosis at the point of care.

In Uganda, farmers clean maize in three traditional ways: hand sorting, winnowing and sieving. During an internship in eastern Uganda in 2018, Ismael Mayanja observed these processes and believed there had to be a better method.

Founded in 2020, Biosense is based on technology with development led by Luis Bojorquez, founder and CSO. Bojorquez specializes in combining tiny natural substances (e.g. proteins) with inorganic materials to develop novel biosensing technologies.

Will the metaverse be entirely virtual reality, which immerses users in an artificial environment, or utilize augmented reality, which superimposes computer-generated images in the real world? Will it be primarily a gaming and entertainment platform? Or a socioeconomic ecosystem? Or will it be — like many over-hyped ideas — a bust? 

“These content creators, they have thousands of products they’ve recommended over thousands of posts over a dozen platforms, but there’s no good way to manage all of those products,” Bardsley says. “It’s not that they weren’t doing affiliate links, but they weren’t paying attention to them enough to make money.”

Insect infestation affects crops worldwide, and manually monitoring food processing and storage facilities is a costly and time-intensive endeavor. SmartProbe technology aims to make pest control easier, cheaper and more effective. 

Unlike virtual reality, which immerses users in an artificial environment, augmented reality superimposes information in the real world. This information can take the form of graphics, text, audio and other sensory inputs to enhance one’s experience.

Too many employees get stuck doing tedious tasks on legacy systems that can impact job satisfaction and the bottom line. This is why Todd Michaud launched HuLoop Automation, a Sacramento-based AI-powered solution to transform the way work gets done.

Optimized Foods, a Davis-based food tech startup, has created a new kind of caviar that is sustainable, nutritious and, most notably, fish-free.

Using Internet-of-Things devices and sensors, the Sacramento-based startup analyzes real-time plant data to monitor the health and performance of crops and water soil saturation.

For athletes, consistency can lead to greatness. Performance data can help get them there. The sports technology startup Core Impact offers a targeted solution through its patent-pending wearable technology.

It takes about five years for a cocoa tree to grow and start producing cocoa beans. But Alan Perlstein, who spent the last 20 years in cellular agriculture and pharmaceuticals, had an idea: Why not bypass the tree and just grow the bean?

EV Life was created to help make the cost of an electric vehicle equal to or less than a car that runs on gas. The startup’s founder and co-CEO explains how his business works with potential EV buyers in three phases.

With her Davis-based startup, CEO Liz Tang wants to remedy the problem of people with medical conditions not having immediate access to the medical devices that may save their lives.

Robots may not possess empathy, but they provide precision and consistency that’s hard for even the most highly trained health professionals to replicate. Can AI-informed technologies hit the medical mainstream?

Robodoc co-creator Dr. William Bargar talks with Comstock’s about the legacy of Robodoc.

VestLife, founded by a special needs attorney, enables parents of children with developmental disabilities to organize, manage and instantly access their child’s key disability information via one secure web app.

While repurposing old warehouses for new use comes with technical and financial challenges, it also presents great benefits, and is one way to build green and sustainable.

Breast milk has antibiotic-like health benefits? It sure does. Matrubials, a startup out of UC Davis, is developing products that use breast milk components to treat bacterial infections.  

Savvy advertising won’t help a business if its core values aren’t consistent on every level. In today’s marketing landscape, authentic messaging aimed toward building trust and engagement is critical. 

Based in El Dorado Hills, Neural Lab has developed touchless technology that turns hand and body motions into commands for devices like keyboards, mice, touchscreens, games and TV controllers.

Davis-based June Care is an online platform that connects parents who need child care with host parents who can provide it.

Elk Grove-based EyeRate is a social platform designed to recognize and reward employees for their product knowledge and customer service, helping them earn more of what their labor is worth.

Cristina Davis, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and associate dean of research for the UC Davis College of Engineering, is developing a breathalyzer-like device to detect COVID-19 and its severity in individuals.

During the pandemic, the benefits of patients connecting virtually have been transformative in many ways.

Davis-based VasoBio has created a medical device that could improve the quality of life for people with kidney diseases.

Dr. Ramin Manshadi, founder of the Manshadi Heart Institute in Stockton, has been studying human hearts and health for decades.

Doctors, researchers and trailblazers are exploring how to use both tried-and-true methods and new tools to improve physical and mental health as we age.

Fairfield-based FarmX enables farmers to sell directly to grocery chains and restaurants via its e-commerce platform.

Tech company Yolo Robotics aims to melt and reshape space debris into useful products while remaining in orbit. 

Davis-based tech company Expert IEP developed an app to help parents of neurodivergent students optimize their academic, behavioral, occupational and speech goals. 

As the pandemic shifts the landscape of investing in the Capital Region, so too are the dynamics between tech startups and investors.

INN>CHRG is developing an app that allows any private property (residential, business, etc.) with electricity to potentially become a charging location.

Every body has a type. But clothing stores typically focus on sizes, which does a disservice to both retailers and customers, says Amy Wister, cofounder and CEO of RevShopp.

From its beginnings in a church basement in Auburn to its current status as the Capital Region’s leading employer of people with disabilities and other hurdles to employment, PRIDE Industries has always promoted an inclusive workforce.

“Why can you read reviews on what restaurant to eat at or hotel to stay at or what vacuum to buy, but when it comes to the largest financial purchase of your life, there’s nowhere to go?” says Tim Hyer, cofounder and CEO of Trusty.

After the disruption of 2020, the push for more collaborative affiliations has become even more urgent. At the core of this evolving model is technology.

How much would you pay to never have to step foot in the Department of Motor Vehicles again?

Milk may do the body good, as the 1980s campaign stated, but Fengru Lin, cofounder and CEO of TurtleTree, believes milk production without cows could do the planet even better.

BCD Bioscience wants to help adults benefit from essential carbohydrates that naturally occur in breast milk.

Summer heat in Sacramento can be stressful — especially for air conditioning units in office buildings.

Here are four entrepreneurs who are transforming ideas of manufacturing for the well-being of the world.

The Folsom-based startup Foodom launched in March 2020 to bring experienced cooks into the homes of busy families.

The recent spate of mergers and acquisitions in the Capital Region tells a story beyond the pandemic, speaking to growing interest in the area and a red-hot financial craze that catapults private companies into public markets.